Passover, also known as Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Israelites' liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. It commemorates the biblical story of the Exodus, when God sent Moses to lead the Israelites out of bondage after 400 years of slavery. The holiday's name refers to the "passing over" of the Israelite homes during the tenth plague, when the firstborn of the Egyptians were struck down but the Israelite children were spared
. The celebration includes a series of rituals, most notably the Passover Seder, a ritual meal held on the first one or two nights, where families retell the story of the Exodus using a special book called the Haggadah. Traditional foods such as matzah (unleavened bread), bitter herbs, and symbolic items on the Seder plate are eaten to remember the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, not allowing their bread to rise
. Passover lasts seven or eight days depending on tradition and location, during which leavened bread is forbidden, and matzah is eaten instead. The holiday emphasizes themes of freedom, family, and remembrance of the hardships endured by ancestors, along with a commitment to social justice and freedom for all people
